Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance she has issued to local government on supporting communities affected by drug dealing.

The Government is committed to tackling county lines exploitation and to supporting children, young people and the most vulnerable in our communities.

On 20 January this year, we announced £40m of dedicated investment for 2021/22 to tackle drugs supply and county lines, doubling our investment from the previous year.

The Social Housing White Paper set out measures to ensure housing staff are properly equipped to support people with mental health needs or problems with drug and alcohol abuse.

We are committed to increasing awareness of ‘cuckooing’ and drug related exploitation and have published guidance for frontline professionals on how to identify potential victims of county lines and appropriate referral routes. Criminal Exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: County Lines guidance (publishing.service.gov.uk)

On 27 July, the Government also published its initial response to Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs which sets out a clear cross-government commitment to this agenda, including plans to publish a long-term drug strategy by the end of this year. The Government has already begun to tackle the problem of substance misuse, by investing an additional £80 million in drug treatment services across England this year, the largest increase in 15 years.